FOUR  YEARS  IN 

JAPAN  and  KOREA 


BISHOP  M.  C.  HARRIS 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2017  with  funding  from 
Columbia  University  Libraries 


https://archive.org/details/4yearsinjapankor00harr 


Four  Years  in  Japan 
and  Korea 


By  BISHOP  MERRIMAN  C.  HARRIS 


The  Quadrennial  Report  of  the 
Missionary  Bishop  for  Japan  and  Korea 
to  the  General  Conference  of  1908 


BOARD  OF  FOREIGN  MISSIONS 
OF  THE  METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH 
150  FIFTH  AVENUE 
NEW  YORK 


PRINTED  OCTOBER,  1908 


FOUR  YEARS  IN  JAPAN  AND 
KOREA 


THE  WAR 

When  I entered  upon  my  duties  the  Russo-Japanese  war  was 
raging.  The  people  had  consecrated  their  lives  and  all  their 
possessions  to  the  sacred  cause  of  nationality.  During  one  year 
and  a half  they  were  wholly  absorbed  in  this  struggle.  Early 
in  the  conflict  the  representatives  of  the  various  religions  met 
together  in  Tokyo  and  reached  the  unanimous  conclusion  as  to 
the  issues  involved.  Bishop  Moore,  then  in  charge  of  Japan, 
represented  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church.  This  agreement 
was  proclaimed  to  the  world  and  produced  a very  happy  effect. 
Any  vestige  of  doubt  concerning  Christianity  was  entirely  re- 
moved. The  missionaries  of  our  Church  continued  their  work 
without  abatement  of  zeal  from  the  very  beginning  to  the  end 
of  the  war.  The  baptisms  and  conversions  went  on  and  the 
faith  of  the  Church  was  purified  by  the  tribulations  of  war. 
The  conduct  of  our  missionaries  through  this  whole  period 
was  in  the  highest  sense  Christian.  The  effects  produced  upon 
the  government  and  people  by  the  conduct  of  the  Christian 
Churches  and  the  missionaries,  the  Army  Department  of  the 
Young  Men’s  Christian  Association,  and  other  Christian  insti- 
tutions were  deep  and  lasting.  All  doubts  as  to  the  loyalty 
of  native  Christians  were  entirely  dissipated.  This  is  evidenced 
by  the  fact  that  the  Court  during  the  war  made  large  donations 
to  the  Young  Men’s  Christian  Association  for  its  Army  Depart- 
ment, and  also  to  noted  Christian  charities.  Since  the  return  of 
peace,  in  August,  1905,  our  Church  and  all  the  churches  have 
enjoyed  unprecedented  prosperity.  The  past  year  (1907)  has 
been  the  most  fruitful  in  the  past  thirty  years.  The  great  con- 
flict profoundly  moved  the  religious  sentiments  of  the  people. 
In  a new  and  significant  sense  thoughtful  minds  treat  the  sub- 
ject of  religion  with  great  respect  and  seriousness.  Dr.  Anezoki, 
professor  of  the  philosophy  of  religion,  invited  a Christian  pro- 

3 


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FOUR  YEARS  IN  JAPAN  AND  KOREA 


fessor  to  deliver  a series  of  lectures  on  Christianity.  The  in- 
vitation was  accepted.  In  the  educational  world,  beginning  with 
the  Imperial  University  and  extending  down  to  the  lower  grades 
of  schools,  all  give  perfect  respect  to  religion  and  are  especially 
drawn  toward  Christianity. 

The  Japanese  Government  has  removed  all  hindrances  to 
Christian  private  schools,  according  recognition  to  every  school 
government  when  requested  (and  not  only  so,  but  it  has  es- 
pecially encouraged  schools  of  academic  and  college  grade). 
The  government  finding  itself  unable  to  supply  secondary,  col- 
legiate and  university  privileges  to  her  growing  numbers  of 
students,  encourages  all  Christian  schools  of  a high  grade. 

THE  UNION  OF  METHODISM 

The  last  General  Conference  approved  the  basis  of  union  sub- 
mitted by  the  joint  committee  of  the  Methodist  bodies  of  J apan, 
and  appointed  commissioners  with  power  to  act  with  those  rep- 
resenting the  other  Methodisms.  In  harmony  with  this 
action  I took  it  for  granted  that  the  union  would,  during  the 
quadrennium  now  ended,  be  carried  into  effect,  and  I shaped 
my  conduct  accordingly.  After  my  return  to  Japan  I carefully 
investigated  the  conditions  as  bearing  upon  this  problem  and 
as  a result  became  convinced  that  the  time  had  come  to  unite 
the  various  Methodisms  and  create  a national  Methodist  Church. 
From  that  time  forward  I felt  it  my  duty  to  encourage  this 
movement. 

The  plan  of  organization  as  prepared  by  the  joint  Commission 
of  the  three  bodies,  and  accepted  by  the  General  Conference  of 
the  new  Church,  is  to  be  commended  for  its  preservation  of  the 
essentials  of  our  polity  and  creed,  and  is  well  adapted  to  the 
needs  of  the  infant  Church.  The  Methodist  Church  of  Japan 
in  the  first  year  of  its  history  finds  it  workable  and  satisfactory. 

Let  me  say  that  in  the  treatment  of  this  question  of  union 
in  Japan — which  has  come  before  previous  General  Conferences 
— there  has  always  been  perfect  respect  shown  and  a desire 
manifested  to  grant  every  request  which  might  tend  to  the 
furtherance  of  the  kingdom.  The  Methodist  Church  of  Japan 
has  no  grievance  against  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  or 
the  two  other  mother  Churches  as  touching  this  question.  You 


REPORT  OF  THE  MISSIONARY  BISHOP 


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have  granted  all  their  prayers,  and  it  now  remains  for  the 
Methodist  Church  of  Japan  to  prove  their  gratitude  and  worthi- 
ness of  your  continued  confidence. 

When  the  time  came  for  me  to  make  a decision  growing  out 
of  the  union  of  Methodisms  it  seemed  perfectly  clear  to  me,  after 
conference  with  Bishop  Cranston,  Dr.  Leonard,  and  the  com- 
missioners present,  that  it  was  my  duty  to  continue  in  the  rela- 
tion in  which  the  last  General  Conference  had  placed  me  and 
round  out  the  quadrennium,  and  submit  the  question  to  your 
godly  consideration.  As  to  the  New  Church,  I pledged  coopera- 
tion and  service  to  the  fullest  limit  of  my  time  and  duty  in 
relation  to  Korea.  The  General  Conference  was  pleased  to  honor 
me  with  the  position  of  Honorary,  or  Bishop  Emeritus,  and  ex- 
tended to  me  a hearty  welcome  to  fellowship  of  service  and 
bade  me  be  at  home  among  the  churches  and  freely  preach, 
baptize,  and  dedicate  churches.  At  the  recent  Conferences 
Bishop  Honda  asked  me  to  unite  with  him  in  the  ordination 
services.  He  ordained  the  deacons  and  I the  elders.  Thus  dur- 
ing the  first  year  of  the  new  Church  our  relations  have  been 
perfectly  cordial,  frank,  and  brotherly. 

I take  this  occasion  to  say  that  the  selection  of  Brother  Honda, 
the  first  Bishop  of  the  Methodist  Church  of  Japan,  met  the 
approval  of  the  Christian  bodies  in  Japan  and  made  a deep  and 
favorable  impression  upon  the  nation  at  large.  It  is  the  glory 
of  our  Church  to  have  furnished  the  first  Christian  Bishop  ever 
elevated  to  this  office  in  Southern  or  Eastern  Asia. 

Since  his  elevation  to  the  episcopacy  he  has  traveled,  preached, 
lectured,  and  administered  the  duties  of  his  office  in  a way  that 
entitles  him  to  be  a successor  to  Asbury  and  all  who  came  after 
him.  He  is  a Bishop  ex  natura , and  truly  called  of  God  to  this 
office  and  ministry. 


FORWARD  MOVEMENT 

It  was  determined  at  the  session  of  its  General  Conference 
that  the  organization  of  the  new  Methodist  Church  be  signalized 
by  an  evangelistic  campaign  lasting  through  two  years  and  to 
be  national  in  scope.  Early  in  the  summer  the  Board  of  Evan- 
gelization was  organized  and  the  Rev.  Y.  Hiraiwa  made  the 
chairman.  This  work  began  early  in  October  and  continued 


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FOUR  YEARS  IN  JAPAN  AND  KOREA 


until  the  Conference  meetings  in  March.  The  pastors  and  mem- 
bers all  took  part,  large  numbers  attended  and  over  a thousand 
conversions  took  place.  The  Church  developed  esprit  de  corps, 
and  is  now  deeply  enthused  and  moved  by  a passion  for  gos- 
pelizing  the  nation.  The  two  Conferences  reported  gains  in 
members,  conversions,  and  self-support;  the  baptisms  totaled 
about  two  thousand,  the  biggest  gain  ever  known.  The  annual 
sessions  of  the  Conferences  were  seasons  of  harmony.  Missionary 
and  native  preachers,  as  heretofore,  acted  together  as  one  or- 
ganic body;  and  imperfect  as  it  has  been  from  the  beginning, 
missionary  and  native  in  the  Conference  never  acted  or  voted  as 
such,  but  as  members  one  of  another,  and,  please  God,  this  will 
continue  as  long  as  missionaries  remain. 

In  the  nominations  for  presiding  elders  there  was  no  discrim- 
ination against  the  missionaries.  The  missionaries  all  joined 
one  of  the  Annual  Conferences. 

Thus  far  the  new  Church  has  met  expectations,  and  I fully 
believe  will  continue  to  do  so. 

CO-OPERATION 

The  plan  of  cooperation  agreed  upon  by  the  commissioners 
and  affirmed  by  the  Missionary  Societies  is  vital  to  the  life  of 
Methodism  in  Japan.  The  Church  can  in  a few  years  attain 
self-support,  but  the  great  question  is  the  evangelization  of 
the  fifty  millions  of  people.  Shall  they  be  left  wholly  to  the 
new  Methodist  Church  and  her  sister  Protestant  churches  but 
one  hundred  thousand  strong  ? Is  it  the  will  of  our  Lord  that  this 
course  be  followed?  I strongly  confess  that  until  Japan  become 
Christian  a duty  to  help  this  tremendous  work  lies  heavily  upon 
the  conscience  of  the  Methodist  and  other  Christian  Churches. 

You  ask,  Why,  then,  independence?  I answer,  for  the  more 
speedy  evangelization  of  the  people.  Already  the  Anglican 
Church,  the  Congregational,  Presbyterian  and  Baptist  churches 
had  organized  national  independent  churches.  The  Methodist 
and  Catholic  bodies  only  were  excepted.  The  new  Church 
exists.  It  begins  its  life  under  happy  auspices.  The  mother 
churches  have  consented  and  have  promised  help;  the  relations 
of  missionaries  and  native  Christians  have  never  been  darkened 
by  doubt.  The  fields  are  white  unto  the  harvest.  Our  schools 


REPORT  OF  THE  MISSIONARY  BISHOP 


7 


are  open  to  the  fair  youth  of  J apan.  Our  chapels  and  churches 
are  filled  with  worshipers  and  inquirers.  The  sale  of  Christian 
literature  is  ever  increasing.  The  new  Buddhism  is  half  Chris- 
tian. Buddhist  priests  in  twenty-five  years  have  decreased  to 
twenty  thousand.  Before,  Confucius  and  Buddha  (or  Shaka- 
muni)  occupied  the  field;  now  Christ  fills  the  horizon.  Thirty- 
five  years  ago  I hardly  dared  name  the  name  of  Christ.  Now 
from  the  housetops  the  gospel  is  proclaimed. 

JAPAN  AND  AMERICA 

As  bearing  on  the  problem  of  missions,  I bear  testimony  to 
the  good  will  of  the  government  and  people  of  Japan.  Thank 
God,  the  emigration  question  is  settled.  The  cordial  invitation 
of  the  emperor,  his  majesty,  to  the  fleet  to  visit  Japan  has  been 
accepted  and  caused  universal  joy.  The  reception  to  our  fleet 
on  its  arrival  will  surpass  that  being  given  by  the  city  of  San 
Francisco.  This  will  be  her  opportunity  to  show  her  love  of 
peace  and  perfect  trust  in  America,  her  oldest  and  best  friend. 
The  treaty  of  arbitration  just  announced  is  another  proof  that 
Japan  seeks  peace  with  the  republic  now  and  forever.  She  has 
come  all  the  way  to  Washington  to  negotiate  this  treaty.  If 
great  in  war,  she  is  also  great  in  peace,  as  witness  her  alliance 
with  Great  Britain,  her  alliances  with  France  and  Russia.  J apan 
and  Russia  are  now  arm  in  arm  (the  new  treaty  between  them 
being  laid  in  justice,  and  Tokyo  will  be  the  first  to  accept  and 
fulfill).  0,  ye  Methodists,  in  such  a time,  when  fifty  millions 
of  people  are  to  be  evangelized,  will  ye  let  your  child,  the  Metho- 
dist Church  of  Japan,  stand  alone,  unsupported,  in  her  days 
of  weakness  ? I know  you  will  not.  Out  of  your  stores  of  experi- 
ence and  learning,  your  material  riches  and  your  sons  and 
daughters,  you  will  supply  her  lack  of  service. 

KOREA COUNTRY  AND  PEOPLE 

The  peninsula  called  Korea  is  ninety  thousand  square  miles 
in  area  and  contains  a population  of  ten  million  souls.  If  the 
resources  were  developed  twenty  million  people  could  easily  be 
sustained.  Korea  is  Little  China.  Her  history  reaches  back 
thousands  of  years,  and  her  most  famous  ruler  was  Ki  Tsze, 
contemporaneous  with  King  David.  At  times  in  the  past  she 


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FOUR  YEARS  IN  JAPAN  AND  KOREA 


has  attained  distinction  in  art,  letters,  and  government.  Korea 
was  the  highway  of  civilization  from  Asia  into  Japan  and  was 
Japan’s  first  teacher. 

President  Goucher,  in  the  year  1883,  saw  a vision  of  New 
Korea  and  heard  a voice  calling : “Come  over  and  help  us.”  He 
was  not  disobedient  to  the  heavenly  vision,  and  by  a gift  of 
$5,000  the  Mission  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church  was 
opened  in  1885. 

PROSPERITY  OF  THE  MISSIONS 

There  was  no  night  of  waiting.  From  the  beginning  the 
work  prospered.  At  the  last  session,  the  Korea  Mission  Con- 
ference was  constituted  an  Annual  Conference,  with  twenty- 
five  full  members  and  twelve  probationers,  with  a membership 
of  twenty-five  thousand,  including  probationers,  and  twenty 
thousand  enrolled  seekers  (being  regular  attendants  on  wor- 
ship), thus  giving  a constituency  of  forty-five  thousand  attained 
in  less  than  a quarter  of  a century. 

REVIVAL 

The  gains  during  the  quadrennium  have  been  remarkable, 
being  the  result  of  preparatory  seed-sowing  and  the  Epochal 
Revival,  beginning  in  January,  1907.  Drs.  Jones  and  Noble 
have  made  a full  report  of  this  divine  visitation.  It  began 
among  the  missionaries.  From  them  it  spread  among  the 
preachers,  the  members,  and  to  the  people  at  large.  The  stages 
of  the  revival  were  as  follows : first  the  thunders  of  Sinai  against 
sin,  awakening  and  terrifying  the  conscience ; second,  the  sacri- 
fice for  sin  through  the  cross  of  Calvary ; third,  the  outpouring 
of  the  Holy  Spirit  at  Mount  Zion. 

EFFECTS 

The  effects  following  this  movement  are  wholly  good — the 
Church  raised  to  a higher  spiritual  level,  almost  entire  absence 
of  fanaticism  because  of  previous  careful  instruction  in  the 
Bible;  not  one  case  of  insanity,  but  many  thousands  clothed  in 
their  right  mind;  scores  of  men  called  to  the  holy  ministry; 
greater  congregations,  searching  the  Word,  as  many  as  two 
thousand  meeting  in  one  place  for  the  study  of  the  Bible ; many 


REPORT  OF  THE  MISSIONARY  BISHOP 


9 


thousands  learning  to  read,  and  making  inquiries;  multitudes 
of  them  pressing  upon  the  tired  missionary  and  native  pastors, 
praying,  “Give  us  to  eat.”  I beseech  you  do  not  listen  to  any 
word  suggestions  of  doubt  as  to  the  vitality  and  reality  of  this. 
Drunkards,  gamblers,  thieves,  adulterers,  murderers,  self-right- 
eous Confucianists  and  dead  Buddhists,  and  thousands  of  devil- 
worshipers  have  been  made  new  men  in  Christ,  the  old  things 
gone  forever. 

Why  is  Korea  becoming  Christian?  I could  give  you  many 
reasons.  We  are  face  to  face  not  with  a theory  but  with  a 
condition.  What  do  the  Koreans  think  of  Christ  ? They  believe 
that  he  came  down  out  of  heaven  full  of  grace  and  truth,  a 
Divine  Saviour  to  save  the  world — to  save  Korea  now.  They 
believe  that  Christianity  is  the  New  Jerusalem  descending  from 
God  upon  them,  their  refuge  in  trouble.  How  strange ! Not  a 
sentence  of  infidel  literature  in  the  empire.  If  there  were,  no 
one  would  read  it.  No  Koreans  could  ask  captious  questions 
concerning  the  great  truths  of  the  gospel.  Our  Lord  came  to 
his  own  and  they  received  him  not.  He  has  come  to  Korea  and 
hears  only  hosannas  in  the  highest.  “Blessed  is  he  that  cometh 
in  the  name  of  the  Lord.”  The  first  shall  be  last  and  the  last 
first.  Korea,  the  last  of  the  ancient  peoples  to  be  called, 
promises  to  be  the  first  to  be  chosen. 

These  Korean  believers  gather  a little  nearer  about  our  Lord 
and  love  him  a little  more  than  any  others.  They  have  gone 
with  him  to  prison  and  to  death.  In  scenes  of  fire  and  blood, 
in  storm  and  war  and  stress  of  the  times,  and  when  men’s  hearts 
have  failed  them  for  fear,  these  Christians  have  remained  un- 
moved. 

SILVER  ANNIVERSARIES 

As  has  already  been  shown,  the  actual  inception  of  our  work 
in  Korea  began  in  1883;  the  first  missionaries  were  appointed 
in  1884  and  reached  the  field  in  1885.  This  makes  the  present 
period  one  of  great  interest  and  significance.  The  year  1909 
is  to  be  observed  as  the  quarter-centennial  year  by  all  the  evan- 
gelical missions  in  Korea,  a Quarter-Centennial  Conference 
being  held  in  the  city  of  Seoul  in  September  of  that  year.  After 
carefully  considering  the  matter,  the  Korea  Conference  asks 
that  Methodism  celebrate  this  auspicious  anniversary  in  the  his- 


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FOUR  YEARS  IN  JAPAN  AND  KOREA 


tory  of  our  Church  in  Korea  by  a silver  anniversary  gift  of  $350,- 
000,  which  will  include  the  $100,000  now  in  process  of  collection 
for  the  reinforcement  of  the  mission  with  twenty-five  new  men, 
and  the  sum  of  $250,000  necessary  for  the  institutions,  educa- 
tional, medical,  and  publicational,  in  connection  with  our  several 
mission  stations. 

FIVE  HUNDRED  THOUSAND  SOULS 

At  a meeting  of  our  pastors  and  preachers  in  Seoul  the  ques- 
tion was  asked  them  as  to  the  extent  of  our  work.  The  answer 
was  that  our  present  enrollment  of  forty-five  thousand  must  be 
multiplied  by  ten  to  express  the  number  who  to-day  stand  just 
outside  the  threshold  of  our  Church  in  Korea,  ready  to  accept 
the  Christian  faith  if  we  only  give  them  the  chance.  It  is 
a matter  of  men  and  money  now.  The  present  conditions  will 
not  abide  permanently  in  Korea.  To-day  Christianity  is  the 
national  enthusiasm  of  the  Korean  people.  Surely,  half  a mil- 
lion souls  are  worth  a supreme  effort  upon  our  part  as  servants 
of  the  Christ  who  died  upon  the  cross — yea,  arose  and  ascended 
for  them  and  for  us.  Are  not  all  these  things  providentially 
related?  Is  not  this  the  finger  of  God?  The  auspicious  anni- 
versary of  the  mission,  the  silver  gift  of  our  own  great  and  pros- 
perous people  and  five  hundred  thousand  souls  for  Jesus  Christ. 

COMITY  AND  CO-OPERATION 

Four  Presbyterian  and  ten  Methodist  Episcopal  Churches  have 
agreed  to  cooperate  for  the  speedy  evangelization  of  the  empire. 
Of  the  ten  million  population  three  million  are  assigned  to  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  Church ; to  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church, 
South,  one  million;  to  the  Presbyterian,  six  million.  These 
divisions  are  not  mechanical  and  arbitrary,  but  natural  and 
workable.  The  missionaries  are  of  one  mind  that  reduplication 
and  overlapping  should  be  avoided.  This  agreement  gives  all- 
around  satisfaction.  There  is  union  in  Christian  literature,  in 
medical  work,  and  to  some  extent  in  education.  A union  hymnal 
has  been  prepared.  Thank  God,  the  forces  are  being  utilized 
to  the  highest  extent,  avoiding  waste  and  attaining  the  largest 
results.  The  Methodist  Missions  have  united  in  theological 
school  work,  with  one  hundred  and  forty  students  in  training, 


REPORT  OF  THE  MISSIONARY  BISHOP 


11 


one  of  the  largest  seminaries  for  the  education  of  ministers  in 
Asia  or  the  world. 

NATIVE  CHURCHES  AND  PASTORS — SELF-SUPPORT 

Our  pastors  and  churches  are  our  joy  and  pride.  They  love 
our  discipline  and  church  order.  They  do  not  amend  our  rules, 
but  keep  them.  We  have  a national  Missionary  Society  which 
is  very  effective.  One  pastor  presides  over  four  thousand  souls, 
with  four  local  preachers  and  forty  exhorters.  The  First  Church 
of  Seoul  pays  its  pastor  the  highest  salary  given  to  a native  pas- 
tor, and  supports  three  mission  churches.  The  Chemulpo 
Church  is  splendidly  organized  and  is  entirely  self-supported. 
It  maintains  two  day  schools,  the  buildings  of  which  have  been 
given  by  that  noble  almoner  of  God’s  gifts,  Truman  D.  Collins, 
who,  when  asked  to  send  $3,000  for  the  girls’  school  replied: 
“That  is  not  enough;  I will  send  you  $5,000.” 

For  the  endowment  of  these  schools  this  church  has  hit  upon 
a unique  plan.  Four  hundred  families  have  formed  a society, 
each  family  to  contribute  the  sum  of  five  cents  when  a child  is 
born  in  any  one  of  the  families.  The  advent  of  each  child 
is  celebrated  by  hoisting  on  the  flagstaff,  in  front  of  the  church, 
the  school  flag,  a blue  field  with  a white  star— -the  Star  of  Bethle- 
hem. On  the  death  of  a member  the  same  amount  is  contributed 
to  funeral  expenses,  and  any  balance  goes  to  the  school  fund. 
The  flag  floats  frequently,  and  one  day  it  was  run  up  six  times. 
A child  without  parents  is  cared  for  until  eighteen  years  of  age. 
In  the  District  and  Annual  Conferences  the  preachers  are  models 
of  deportment  and  intelligent  participation  in  all  the  business 
in  hand.  The  native  Church  is  eighty-five  per  cent  self-support- 
ing. They  all  give,  and  give  cheerfully,  as  the  Lord  has  pros- 
pered them.  They  bid  fair  to  rival  our  German  churches  in  sys- 
tematic giving  and  in  the  perfect  ordering  of  all  church  matters. 

RELATIONS  TO  GOVERNMENT 

The  Church  in  Korea  occupies  a delicate  position.  It  is  a 
great  power,  and  during  the  troubles  of  last  year,  guided  by 
the  missions,  it  stood  aloof  from  all  disturbances  and  held  the 
people  in  order.  I have  no  doubt  that  the  Christians  in  Korea 
during  the  last  year  saved  the  lives  of  thousands  of  people  by 


12 


FOUR  YEARS  IN  JAPAN  AND  KOREA 


their  efforts.  They  are  guided  by  the  words  of  Christ,  “Unto 
Caesar  the  things  that  are  Caesar’s,  unto  God  the  things  that  are 
God’s.”  I refer  to  this  because  it  has  been  published  abroad 
that  our  American  missionaries  and  the  Korean  preachers  and 
the  Church  in  Korea  are  mixed  up  in  politics.  Such  is  not  the 
case.  Our  missionaries  in  Korea  give  themselves  absolutely 
and  wholly  to  the  work  of  evangelizing  the  people.  They  are 
not  connected,  directly  or  indirectly,  with  any  domestic  or  any 
political  problems.  They  preach  the  gospel.  They  are  establish- 
ing a people  in  the  principles  of  the  gospel,  and  to  this  work  they 
are  ever  loyal. 

J ust  this  word  concerning  the  schools : In  our  own  Methodist 
schools  we  have  five  thousand  pupils  and  only  two  schools  out 
of  scores  that  have  any  school  furniture — -no  furniture  in  our 
churches,  no  furniture  in  our  schools,  no  tables  and  desks  save 
in  two  of  these.  Such  poverty  of  equipment  cannot  be  found  in 
any  other  mission  field  under  the  care  of  Methodism.  The  great 
question  in  Korea  is  the  care  of  our  splendid  youth;  all  these 
children  are  Christians,  having  been  baptized  in  the  name  of 
Christ.  We  have  no  room  for  those  who  are  not  Christians. 
Korea  has  really  come  to  her  birthhour,  and  is  now  reaching 
for  the  light.  There  are  hundreds  of  boys  and  girls  who  will 
not  burn  the  midnight  oil — they  burn  the  all-night  oil.  Such 
takes  place  when  Christ  comes — when  He  comes  to  Japan  or 
comes  to  Korea. 


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